Among the nominees for this year’s Brage Award, no one has a multicultural background. Of the 16 people on the jury, only one has a multicultural background. – That the jury is so white, to use such a term, I find disturbing and sensational, says Nazneen Khan-Østrem about this year’s Brage Prize jury. The former publishing editor and Aftenposten’s commentator believes that awareness of diversity in the book industry has increased, but that it is still going too slowly. – Today, there is no shortage of multicultural people who can sit on juries in the cultural industry. It is absolutely crucial that the members reflect the diversity that exists in Norway. It applies to all minorities; not only ethnic. Since 2019, two multicultural writers have been nominated for the Brage prize. Among the jury members, there are two people with a multicultural background, including this year’s jury. The Brage Prize is a Norwegian literary prize that is awarded every year by the Norwegian Book Prize Foundation. The purpose of the prize is to honor new Norwegian literature. Photo: Siss Vik / news Shazia Majid was herself nominated for the Brage Prize in 2019. This year she is disappointed that there are no multicultural nominees. – We have a much more diverse nation and that should also be reflected in Norwegian literature, says Majid and adds: – It feels as if you are not treated equally with others, or that the jury does not see new qualities and new ways of evaluating literature on. These sit on the jury Open class – Non-fiction for children and young people Anne-Stefi Teigland, Høgskulen på Vestlandet (leader) Mari Midtstigen, Aftenposten Junior Per Eide, Årstad library Gunnar Sveen, Norli Universitetsgata Children’s and youth books Troels Posselt, Viken County Library (leader) Janne Karin Støylen, Freelancer Magne Julin Vik-Mo, Norli Strandgaten Karen Frøsland Nystøyl, Periscope Nonfiction Astrid Fosvold, Vårt Land, (leader) Stian Thorstensen, Norli Litteraturhuset Per Roger Sandvik, Library freelancer Anette H. Storeide, Falstad Center for Fiction Kaia Nielsen Kjøs, Deichman Bjørvika (leader) Grethe Fatima Syéd, freelance Ole Jacob Hoel, Adresseavisen Halvor Heldal, Akademika Bø Head of the Brager Council: – Embarrassing Kari Marstein, publishing manager at Gyldendal and head of the Brager Council, thinks it is embarrassing and in no way acceptable that there are so few with a multicultural background in the jury and among the nominees. – It is obviously not good enough. I completely agree with the criticism and understand it well, says Marstein. She explains that there has not been sufficient attention to this in the selection of jury members. – It is just embarrassing that it has been necessary to make us aware of it. But Marstein does not believe that it is possible to state that books by multicultural authors are systematically overlooked. – Currently, there are so few books where the author has a multicultural background. As the proportion is so small, it is difficult to say with certainty that those books are systematically overlooked when it comes to attention, awards and nominations. I’m not saying it can’t be the case. But I can’t see that there is a basis for stating that this is the case either. Camara Lundestad Joof during the awarding of the Brage prize 2021 at Dansens hus in Oslo. Photo: Annika Byrde / NTB In 2022, there have been several books by authors with a multicultural background. Among other things; Zeshan Shakars They call me the wolf, Brynjulf Jung Tjønn: White, Norwegian man and The Godfather: My journey in the underworld by Guhlam Abbas and Kjetil Østli. Majid does not agree that there is a lack of books and authors with a multicultural background. – For me, it is hair-raising that, for example, Zeshan Shakar has not been nominated for any of his books. His books have been a turning point in Norwegian contemporary literature. She believes that part of the responsibility lies with the Norwegian publishers, as they are the ones who nominate the books for the jury. – We need more people who dare and want to write books, and we need publishers who believe in their talents and don’t just fill up a quota. Marstein is the publisher of Shakar and believes that he should have been nominated, but that this also applies to many of the books that are published each year. – Unfortunately, there are so many books that deserve to be highlighted, but do not, says Marstein. Nominated for the Brage prize 2022 Open class: Non-fiction for children and young people Martin Aas: “The coolest thing from the Viking age”, Kagge Forlag Aina Basso: “Dei døddømde”, Det Norske Samlaget Ida Kristine Larmo: “Rigel. Echoes of injustice”, Strand publishing house Peder Samdal: “More than a club”, Cappelen Damm Children’s and youth books Julia Kahrs: “Familien Brattbakk”, Gyldendal Hilde Myklebust: “Splinter”, Det Norske Samlaget Bjørn F. Rørvik and Per Dybvig: ” Grisaldo”, Cappelen Damm Tyra Teodora Tronstad: “Recipe against spirits that break things”, Aschehoug Fiction Aage Storm Borchgrevink: “The Warlord in the Kremlin”, Kagge Forlag Alfred Fidjestøl: “Deep down in my heart I have my sense: the biography of Georg Johannesen”, Det Norske Samlaget Trygve Riiser Gundersen: “Haugianerne”, Cappelen Damm Åsne Seierstad: “Afghanerne”, JM Stenersens Forlag Fiction Ingeborg Arvola: “Knife in the fire”, Cappelen Damm Matias Faldbakken: “Poor”, Forlaget Oktober Vigdis Hjorth: “Fifteen years . The revolutionary spring”, Cappelen Damm Carl Frode Tiller: “The foreign land”, Aschehoug Skeptical about quotas On the question of whether quotas for jury members could be a solution, Khan-Østrem replies that she is very skeptical. – The most important thing is that the best books are nominated, not that a societal requirement is met. But how literature is read, interpreted and experienced is a lot about one’s own perspective and experience. Therefore, a more diverse jury will have different criteria and thoughts about what good literature is. Khan-Østrem believes it is time for the book industry to take seriously the importance of diversity. – The public conversation has been concerned with this question for a long time now. It should be a “no-brainer” to be aware that a jury must be composed of people from different backgrounds. Regardless of the industry you work in.
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Criticizes the Brage prize for being too “white” – news Culture and entertainment
